Where does “porky” come from?
porky (English) comes from English porcupine, from Middle English porke despyne, from Old French porc-espin, from Latin porcus, from Proto-Italic porkos, from Proto-Indo-European pórḱos, from Proto-Indo-European perḱ-, from Proto-Indo-European per- — passed , crossed.
porky (English): Resembling or characteristic of pork; Rather fat;...
Definitions
- Resembling or characteristic of pork; Rather fat;...
Ancestry of “porky”, step by step
porky traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English porcupine
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | porcupine | Any of several rodents of either of the taxonomic... |
| 2 | Middle English | porke despyne | — |
| 3 | Old French | porc-espin | — |
| 4 | Latin | porcus | a piglet, a young pig; a pig, hog; Short for... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | porkos | pig |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pórḱos | piglet |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | perḱ- | colored; motley; to open, rip up |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via English pork
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | pork | The meat of a pig; swineflesh; Funding proposed... |
| 2 | English | fork | A pronged tool having a long straight handle,... |
| 3 | Middle English | forke | A fork or graip; A fork-shaped fire iron; A... |
| 4 | Old English | force | (found in compounds) |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | furkō | fork |
| 6 | Latin | furca | A two-pronged fork, pitchfork; A fork-shaped... |